Alphys: Oh look, another chapter! That's unexpected!
Me: I...it wasn't...?
Alphys: No, not like that! I just didn't think that it would be so soon! I'm not trying to insult you or anything! It was just...I dunno. Somehow it feels early.
Me: Okay...if you say so. Anyway, here's another chapter!
Alphys: hope it's enjoyable! Ehehe~
(Dreemurr Residence)
"Woah woah, what?!" Alvina shouted in surprise as she was sitting across from the most of the key monsters. having been eating some of Toriel's pie during their explanation of what's happened. Temmie was sitting right next to her, vibrating intensely and just looking adorable. "Back up a bit, you're saying that this guy attacked Alphys, because Mettaton attacked a magic faction he belonged to without realizing who he was dealing with, And there's a really high chance that he's in trouble because of it? That's...that's crazy! Also, this is REALLY good pie! Not part of the subject, but it's something worth mentioning!"
Toriel gently sipped tea from her cup and sets it down on the table in front of her. Then she gingerly placed her paws on her lap and gazed towards Ebott's mayor. "First of all...thank you, I work really hard on my pies. Secondly and more importantly, yes indeed. It's a bit far-fetched to believe."
"It's not that I don't believe it. Monsters come crawling out of a mounthat six years ago asking for peace and friendship...remember when I told you that it wasn't the weirdest thing I've ever experienced? Trust me, I can believe it. It's just hard to actually understand. You're the magic experts, not me." She raised her hands a bit to emphasize her point. Then a thought came to her. "So...what? Is he one of...?"
"No. He's most definitely not one of the Great Seven. We would have recognized him if he was. And on top of that, he was nowhere near as powerful as any of them were." Asgore said. "If anything, this man was simply a low-level magician. Or a 'grunt', the term that Undyne used to describe him at least. Alphys has been targeted by whoever it is sent him to kill her. And judging by what he's said, they're not going to stop coming for her."
"They think they can try and kill my little Alphy...no way in hell." Undyne said, her arms firmly wrapped around Alphys' waist and her chin on top of her head. "They can send in as many as they like. I'll kick all of their asses and send them running! Though I understand that we can't exactly wait around and hope that it'll stop. Like I said before, we have to form a team to go out and rescue Mettaton, Shyren, and Napstablook!"
"THOUGH THE THING IS...WE CAN'T ALL LEAVE EBOTT. AS MUCH AS I REALLY WOULD LIKE FOR METTATON AND THE OTHERS TO RETURN TO U AS SAFELY AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN, WE ALSO DO NOT WISH TO RISK THIS SAME INCIDENT HAPPENING WHILE SOME OF US ARE GONE." Papyrus reasoned. "WE DO NOT WANT FURTHER ATTACKS ON ALPHHYS. I SAY A FEW OF US STAY BEHIND AND KEEP HER SAFE."
"No, Papyrus. I already told everyone, I'm going with this team to go rescue Mettaton." Alphys said sternly. "It doesn't matter who goes and who stays, so long as I'm one of the monsters going. Mettaton is the metal body that I created for Hapstablook, he's one of my major accomplishments that I can't allow to fall in the wrong hands. But significantly more than that he's my friend, as well as Shyren and Napstablook. If they're trapped in enemy territory and can't escape on their own..then we have to go and save them! Besides, if I go straight towards the enemy, then it'll bring danger away from Ebott since they're looking to attack me, right? This way, Ebott will be safer and I can help rescue my friends!"
"Exactly! Damn, I love it when you get fired up like this! Despite how worried I am, I can't say no to that energy!" Undyne pumped her right fist, while kissing the top of Alphys' head. "It's pretty hot~"
"U-Undyne...plz no..." Alphys shied away, covering her face with a massive blush.
"It is kinda cool to see you being strong about this." Alvina nodded in agreement before sitting back. Temmie immediately jumps on her lap and curls up on it for no reason other than to be cuddly. Responding in kind, Alvina gently rubs the top of her head and feels a small purr accompany the vibrations. "Anyway, you guys are right about one thing. Not all of you can leave Ebott. If all of the key monsters left at once, it might cause a bit of concern for other monsters counting on you all to keep things stable around here. Plus a few other humans have concerns about one of their own having magic and using it against them."
"Well on the bright side, they can't possibly blame this incident on Alphys. They could tell she was definitely a victim who was just defending herself, and got a super cool upgrade fro the exeprience! *Ahem* Still, that doesn't make this right for her to go through. This can't stand. I'm gonna allow you guys to do your best and deal with this crisis and save your friend while me and the others try to clean up the mess left behind. The question remains...who's going to go?"
"I shall go. And I will take Undyne and Alphys alongside me. And the boys shall come as well." Asgore volunteered. Undyne and Alphys readily nodded at this. "Do you agree, Tori?"
"I do agree...what I mainly have an issue with, is the circumstances surrounding this. Are you sure it's alright to bring the boys along? We have an idea of what kind of danger this is, but what most disturbs me is how big and how threatening it is." Toriel wondered, concern and hesitation gracing her. "Are you sure it's alright for them to go?"
"Put it this way. Even if we did say know to them, it won't end there. Their Determination will just find them a way to push past these restraints and participate whether we want them to or not. Still, if you'd like ,we could most certainly try."
"...No. You're right. This is a friend they're searching for. There's no way they will simply sit quietly." Toriel sighed as she softly shook her head. "However, if one of us has to stay behind, it's going to be you, Gorey." Asgore looked at her strangely, before she continued. "Time has definitely passed since monsters have come to the Surface...but certainly not enough for monsters to feel comfortable without their king. You have to stay and make sure that monsters keep their calm despite while the assigned team goes out to rescue Mettaton and the others."
"...Are you sure?"
"You were able to keep our people together for years without my help. Surely you can manage without me for a couple days."
"I'm not worried about our people. They'll be alright. They're much calmer and reasonable than they used to be. I'm worried about you. Are you sure you'll be able to handle this?" Toriel soon turned to him, her expression deadpan as she folded her arms. Asgore realized that he may have said something wrong. "...Uh..."
"Who's the brains of this family?"
"...You are."
"And who was able to completely blow you away with one attack?"
To be perfectly fair, Asgore wasn't expecting her to blindside him like that, considering they haven't seen each other in years. Frisk telling them both this in that moment of a Pacifist timeline made things really awkward. Nonetheless, he conceded to his wife's point and lowered his head. "...You did..."
"I rest my case."
"I'm just worried, Tori. It's like you said, we don't know the full circumstances of this situation, nor do we know what dangers are ahead. Which is why I wanted to go with the others."
"I'm fully capable of handling myself. We haven't spent these past years fully relaxing, you know." Toriel smiled as she placed her paws stop his, and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Me, Alphys, and Undyne will take care of the boys, Gorey. We wouldn't let anything happen to them under our watch. And adding onto that, we're going to get Napstsblook, Shyren, and Mettaton back, safe and sound."
"Yes!" Alphys nodded strongly. "In the mean time, Asgore, Sans, and Papyrus can stay behind and look after the city. Help make sure we don't have any more surprises during our absence. And also to look after the human magic-user. Make sure he doesn't try anything."
"I CAN CERTAINLY HELP IN THAT CAUSE! I'VE BEEN GUARDING THINGS FOR A VERY LONG TIME NOW!" Papyrus eventually agreed.
"Don't sorry, guys. I can help make sure the fort is held down tight." Alvina said. "I've got your back, guys! Now I just need more pies..."
"Great! Then we have all of this settled! We're gonna go out there and save our friends!" Undyne grinned.
"So the female half of the Main Six are going on this expedition...very well." Asgore nodded as he gently kissed Toriel's paw. "I'm not going to stop you from going. But St the very least, allow me to suggest a few more monsters to add on to the group. I believe two of them will be eager to join, one will be happy to be included, and another...I believe Undyne will especially appreciate the last monster I'm adding. She'll certainly find it to be a glorious opportunity..."
Undyne could only raise her eyebrow in curiosity, not understanding what he meant at the time.
(Later...)
"Wah ha ha!~" Gerson let out a hearty cackle as he held his knapsack over his shoulders. "It's been centuries since I've been on a proper expedition! This oughta be fun!"
"I know you're excited, my old friend. I just hope that you remember one of the reasons why you're accompanying them." Asgore noted while looking down at his eldest companion. "Of course, I also worry about you as well. You don't have to proceed with this if you don't want to."
"Bah, you worry too much, FluffyBuns! I've still got a few adventuring yers' left in me! Especially for somethin' as important as this!" Gerson waved off his concern. "'Sides, there's no way that Undyne's going to let this chance go, now that I'm already here. Might as well go along and see what happens."
"...I'm going on an expedition with Gerson." Undyne began slowly, her eye filled with disbelief and excitement. "I'm...going...on an expedition...with Gerson..." She could hardly contain her immense temptation to squee in delight and anticipation. "I'm going on an expedition with Gerson The Hammer of Justice! This is definitely going to go on my list of the greatest things that has ever happened to me!"
"Just as I thought. She understands this opportunity, and she grabbed it wholeheartedly. This time it's about you, Gerson." Asgore stated with a slight chuckle. "I'm sure she'll be further encouraged to do her best now that she knows you're accompanying her. My guess is that she really wishes to impress you with her skill up-close."
Gerson sighed while shaking his head. "That blasted child...sometimes I really wonder what she sees in this old coot."
"What do you mean? You're a Legendary Hero!"
"...How long have you been savin' that one up?"
"...Uuuummm...actually, that was pure coincidence. I didn't even realize it until after I said it."
"That's just like you, FluffyBuns..." Toriel said softly as she shook her head. She then turned towards Gerson and smiled gently. "You're going on an expedition with us after all. It's been such a while since you've done such a thing. Seems your passion for the unknown has been reborn once again. Are you sure you'll be able to keep up with the rest of us?"
"Tch, both of you fluffballs are underestimatin' me and such...that's alright though. It'll only make it all the sweeter once I prove to ya both that I still have it in me. Either way, this isn't something I and pass by, even if I wanted to.
On another end, there was Asriel and Red, whom the latter was speaking to her parents about attending this expedition. Dogressa was handing her supplies in her own satchel, wearing a face of motherly concern for her pup as she reluctantly helped her prepare. Asriel was looking on a bit nervously but chose to leave them to their devices until they were officially finished. Dogamy and Doggo wisely followed his silent advice, letting the females speak.
"Are you sure about this, Pup?"
"I'm fine, Mama."
"Are you absolutely sure?"
"I am, Mama."
"Because you know that you can turn back at any time-"'
"Mama..." Red sighed softly as she stopping packing for a moment, so she could then loop up towards Dogressa. "I know you mean well and I know that I'm a Pup...but I'm not a defenseless Pup."
"Red, I..." Dogressa paused for a moment to recollect her thoughts, then she sighed deeply. "I...I know, I know. I've seen you, you're very strong. But still, you can't blame a mother for worrying. You're going out to a place that's most likely dangerous, and I won't be there beside you." Dogressa adopting Red into the pack was one of the happiest decisions she's ever made, without an ounce of regret. Though considering that Red was very new to the pack, she was very hesitant. So of course she would have a bit of an issue with her daughter going out somewhere dangerous for an unspecified amount of time. But she's seen Red's steely determination. She may not know Mettaton very well aside from him being incredibly narcissist, and thus didn't really like him very much. But he was a friend of Asriel's and he was a monster in need. That's all she needed to know to proceed onward. Dogamy was initially surprised by her attitude, though has said that it suits her.
"I have to go with them, Mama. Aside from helping my friends save another friend, I'm also a bit curious to see the world beyond Ebott. Even if it's just a little bit, and only for a little while." Red reasoned. "I have to help the others save their friends. We'll be back as soon as we can, so don't worry too much, alright?"
"...I suppose I can at least make the attempt. You've already made it clear that stopping you is pointless." Dogressa worriedly smiled as she hugged her daughter, lightly licking the top of her head. " I have confidence in your abilities...just be as safe as you can be." Red nodded in agreement, that was an acceptable compromise, she supposed. Dogressa then pulled back and smiled softly. "You're going to be alright. After all, you have Asriel Dreemurr to protect you from harm. He's capable of keeping you safe."
Red's eyes widened. "W-What?! Him? Protect me? Don't be ridiculous!" She protested as she folded her arms with a huff. "What are you even talking about, Mama? Asriel is a Prince with a dream to follow, he has no time to waste on me. Besides, I told you I can take care of myself." Red's ears flattened against her head and she turned her head to the side. Mama doesn't know what she's talking about. I don't need Asriel's protection. I don't care one bit that he's such a big naive sweetheart...HE'S the one who's more likely to need protection!
Hm...Red looks bothered by something. Maybe she's just anxious about the expedition? Asriel thought innocently, wondering why Red looked a bit distressed.
Meanwhile, he went over to Chara and Frisk, as all three of them were watching everyone get prepared for the expedition. The former folded his arms under his poncho. "Well, apparently we're doing this. I'm still not completely comfortable with the fact that we have more human magic users out there, and some of them might be out to get Alphys just because of Mettaton's existence."
"But then we take into account, Mettaton has many human-killing implements in his design. Here's to hope that someone isn't forcing him to put those to good use. Not only that, but I'm also really worried about Napstablook and Shyren. At least Mettaton knows how to fight. Those two are more vulnerable." Frisk said with immense concern. "We have to save them as soon as we possibly can."
"I agree. If what that man said is really, trulytrue, then we're bound to find other monsters against us as well." Asriel looked like he had something much deeper and emtional to add onto that, though he shook his head. He'd voice those thoughts at a later time, when it was most appropriate. "That doesn't matter right now. What mostly matters is that we get our friends back. They're in great danger, so we have to get there really fast and save them."
"Yeah..." Chara rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. "I know this is gonna be important and all...but I can't help but feel like this is gonna be such a drag..."
"Chaaaaaarrrrrraaaaaa Deeeeeerrrrrriiiiiieeeeee!"
"What the-" Chara was abruptly cut off as he felt something tackle him from behind, very closely knocking him over and into the ground. He recognized the voice easly enough, and the nickname was just as easy to remember. He groaned as he began turning around. "Muffet...what are you doing here...and...hah?" He was on his way to ask his second question, until he got a good look at her change of clothes. He facepalmed, though it's more to hide his brightening blush as much as to show his confusion and slight agitation. "Why...?"
"Why not?~" Muffet beamed cheerfully. She once again wore a short-sleeved black minidress with the print of a purple spider with hit's legs spread out. She wore her long boots on her feet, as well as keeping her violet tights. One of the things he found most noticable was the fact that she tied her hair back into a long ponytail, which was kept in place with a pink ribbon and lied just over shoulder. She also kept another pink ribbon right over her chest. "I've been invited to this little expedition of yours, because it sounded like serious business. So I decided to come along and help you out as much as a spider girl can! Besides, my ribbon buddy is coming along, I can't just let her do this on her own!"
"...As much as we appreciate the sentiment...I think you mean that you invited yourself." Chara deadpanned.
"I don't know what you mean.~"
"Ugh...I gotta deal with you during this entire trip...especially when you're like this..."
"Hey, that's mean! Why are you saying that in such an annoyed tone?!" Muffet pouted, placing her lower hands on her hips and her middle arms folded. "I happen to believe that I'm quite capable of fighting as well! You're going to be really glad that I came along!"
"Yeah yeah, I get it..."
"Grrr..." Muffet snarled as she marched up to him and painfully pinched his pink cheeks with her upper hands, gritting her teeth as her eyes glowed red with irritation. "I'm going out of my way to give you six helping hands on such an important journey and THIS is how you show your gratitude?! You got some serious nerve, Chara-Dearie!" She pinched even harder, making him yelp in pain.
"Ow, ow! Okay, I'm so-OW! I'M SORRY!" Chara yelped as Muffet released his cheeks, which had begun glowing red from how tightly she pinched.
'Hmph!" Muffet huffed, still a bit annoyed as her eyes turned back to normal. She turned towards Frisk and smiled sweetly towards him. "You appreciate my company. Don't you Frisk?"
"Of course I do! The more friends, the better!"
"I knew you would!~" Muffet beamed as she eagerly wrapped her arms around Frisk and pulled him into a hug, his head pressed against her chest as she playfully pet the top of his head. "You're such a nice boy, Frisk! So much nicer and appreciative than your grumpy meanie of a brother. Ahuhuhu~"
"HEY! You can't use my brother's approval to guilt-trip me! That's not fair!" Chara pointed at her in defiance and shock.
Muffet turned towards him and mock-gasped. "Oh my...you seem to be under the unfortunate illusion that I have play by your rules. Boo-Hoo for you! Bleh!~" Muffet teased as she stuck her tongue at him, taking immense satisfaction at seeing his face turn red both out of embarrassment and anger, clenching his fist in front of his face. Both from Muffet messing with him and Frisk showing very little resistance to her actions. Though he didn't know whether to chalk that up to blissful ignorance or normal ignorance or he really had no idea what's going on. It's okay though, because Chara wasn't so sure either.
"Now guys, relax." Asriel attempted to placate the both of them, sweatdropping slightly. "We don't want to have too many negative vibes while embarking on this expedition, alright?" He blinked curiously as he rubbed his neck. "That reminds me, while we have the location of where they might be, what I'm really wondering is how we're going to get there. It definitely doesn't seem to be close." Gerson grinned softly at the question. Asriel did not miss this. "Gerson? Do you know something?"
"Sure do, sonny." With this, Gerson waved his hand slightly. Everyone turned and they showed their surprise as River Person suddenly appeared from the shadows. They felt some degree of unease as the River Person gazed at everyone. They were unsure of what the rider was thinking since the face was always shrouded in shadow. Gerson then motioned outward towards the ocean. "Do your thing. You know what we're waiting for." River Person nodded in confirmation, faces the ocean.
"Gerson...what do you know?" Asriel asked curiously. "I know River Person really knows how to handle the little boat, but how-"
"Do you remember how you gave every monster from the Underground the Angel's Blessing? And then we have that Magic Awakening that occurs if they really work for it, and if they can take the change?" Asriel blinkied at the question, but nodded nonetheless. "Then watch and learn."
River Person stared idly at the ocean, seemingly doing nothing at the moment. Then the boat levitated a few feet above the water. Then everyone heard a soft whisper. "...Change." There was a bright flash of light as everyone was temporarily blinded. When the light slowly cleared up, they found themselves gaping in awe at the display. Instead of the usual boat Riverperson rides on, which always has a cat face on it, there was a much larger ship in it's place. Capable of carrying much more passengers than it ever could before, which was just one. It was complete with sails with the Delta Rune symbol, lower decks where the kitchen, training room, and bunks were located, and an upper deck where River Person would be standing. Concentration was need in order to keep a vessel like this in top shape. Luckily for everyone going, River Person had plenty of concentration. One noticable thing...the cat head was still in the very front.
For some reason, Alphys felt the need to remember it's layouts, functions, and overall capabilities down to the letter.
"Woah...how...how did River Person do this..?!" Asriel gaped in awe, seeing the ship before him yet still plenty shocked. Gerson grinned.
"Asriel. What's River Person's line of work?"
"Um...transportation. But that's just across rivers..."
"Not anymore. Their range has increased drastically. So if you ever need transportation via vehicle...River Person is now capable of giving you personal rides. Almost anywhere."
Toriel nodded slowly. "Vehicle magic...a strange one, but it isn't like we haven't seen stranger types of magic..."
"Woah...that's...amazing..." Undyne said slowly. She really meant it too, this wasn't what she expected.
"Monsters from the Underground are beginning to transcend their magic limits and become capable of many more amazing things...this is just a mere taste, just like Alphys' new power I've heard about." Gerson smiled as he began boarding the ship. "Come, ya slowpokes! We've got a rescue mission underway!"
"Right!" Asriel and Undyne chanted simultaneously as they quickly boarded the ship, followed by Alphys, Chara, Muffet, Frisk, and Red. Toriel gave a brief kiss to Asgore before boarding as well.
Shamir, Ribras, and Rasha watched them leave, and the ship began to move. Shamir shook his head. "They're...they're fools. Risking their lives like this."
"Undyne seemed pretty intent on doing this since her lover agreed. There's no way they're going to turn away now. Their friend's lives are on the line, so of course they're not going to care about the danger." Ribras sighed. "Still...I can't help but be worried. They're about to find out just how dark this world has gotten in their absence."
"That may be so...but I believe they'll return with their light shining." Rasha said as she gazed over to Dogamy and Dogressa, who were reluctant to see Red go but allowed her to for the sake of her friends. That takes a considerable amount of faith, to allow their child to partake in such a dangerous mission.
"I agree." Asgore says as he gently sees his family and friends off, unsure of when they'll return...but he was definitely sure that they would. "My wife and children are fully capable of handling this. I'm fully confident in Undyne as well, as I had trained her myself for years. And she then went on to personally train my birth son Asriel. And I'm sure you've at least heard inklings of how capable Gerson is when he goes on an adventure. Also, he's a good friend of mine. He won't let anything happen to any of them if he can help it." Asgore closed his eyes and smiled. "Even though I'm fully aware of their capabilities, I'm going to hope for their safety anyway, if only to ease my own nerves."
"yeah. they'll be fine. they got this." Sans nodded easily with his hands in his pockets. "and until they get back, it falls on the rest of us to hold down the fort back at tori's school. can't have linda takin' advantage of the lack of her boss's warm, motherly, yet intimidating aura. though i think helen will still be able to cooperate with us."
"Oh, that's right! Helen will be able to help us keep things in order!"
"though we'll have to go without tori's pie for a while, too."
"Oh...that's right..." Asgore frowned, lowering his head, looking like he might cry. "Sans...I already miss her..."
"you and me both, boss-man." The shorter skeleton nodded in agreement. "anyway...we'd better get going. there isn't a lot of use standin' around here. let's head back. the weed will probably act up if no one's watchin' him." Asgore also nodded in agreement, as they both began leaving the docks, alongside Dogressa, Dogamy, and the others who accompanied them. Rasha and Ribras, after some hesitation, followed the dog couple. Shamir stayed in his spot, however. He was still having trouble comprehending the risk everyne was taking for the sake of a few of their own. Sans seemed to notic this, which is why he stopped in place after everyone passed him. "...shamir."
"Wha...what is it?"
"ya gotta realize...we've been through quite a lot. it's these kinds of events in which we can't afford to turn a blind eye. when one of our own has been caught in a seriously tight spot, we gotta go out there and lend a hand. sittin' around and doin' nothin' while one of their own needs help is not the dreemurr's style. doesn't matter what it takes, they're gonna go save em'."
"They would really do that for any of their subjects?"
"friends. not subjects." Sans shook his head. "dude. i dunno what kind of place you were brought up in that made you think that everyone abandon's their comrades when things get rough, but that's not how things go with us." Sans explained as he turned and began moving again. "we've made a pact among ourselves. if someone we care about is in a jam, then we gotta do our absolute damnedest to help them out. you can't begin to imagine how much pain has been inflicted just because some of us refused to do anything but watch." Sans sighed softly, his sockets closing. "for me and alphys...that is our greatest sin...and why she feels the need to take action herself and not just leave things to undyne. mettaton is her best friend, and she has to help him and the others. for tori...it's even worse. she's made some very bad choices in the past because she wanted to be in the right. and because of those choices and the conequences they had on monsterkind..i don't think she'll ever ignore someone in need of her help, ever again." With this, Sans warped away, leaving a confused Shamir in his wake.
Who are these people really...? And what happened to them...?
(Meanwhile...)
"Wooooaaaah! This is amazing!~" Muffet said excitedly as she felt the gentle beeze passing through her hair and against her face. Her lower hands were on the edge of the ship, her middle hands folded under her chest, and her top hands over her head. "I bet no one ever expected a beautiful lady spider such as myself to take to the seas! I'm officially on an adventure!" She beamed brightly as she shot her middle and top arms out with peace signs. and a gleeful smile. "Fellow spiders everywhere! Your Queen has decided to bravely face the seas, in order to go on a mysterious journey to a mysterious land, in order to rescue precious friends in need!" She pulled back as she clenched her right middle fist, a vein pulsing in her head. "Not to mention one of them owes me money..."
"And there it is." Chara sighed, shaking his head as he rested his chin in his left hand. "I knew there was another reason why you would come along on this mission of ours. I had suspected that money would be involved somewhere."
"Hey! I care about Mettaton! I also care about Napstablook and Shyren! All three of them are good friends! It's just that when it comes to Mettaton, those two goals just happen to coincidentally coincide, is all." Muffet huffed. "Besides...my Ribbon Buddy was going to go somewhere mostly unknown and surely dangerous! What kind of Ribbon Buddy would I be if I didn't go along with her? Not a very good one, I can assure you!"
"Well either way, I appreciate you coming along, Muffet." Red smiled, inadvertedly taking Muffet's irritation of Chara into a six-armed hug for her.
"This ship is pretty amazing! it's way bigger and roomier than it looks!" Frisk voiced as he could be head from below deck. "There's bunks down here, beds, a kitchen stacked with food...it's incredible!~"
"River Person takes care that the proper rations are also in place before they truly begin with the transporting. I call it an extra act of preparation on their part." Gerson reasoned, staring out at the water with a small smile. "Gotta say...feels great going out on an expedition. Though I must say that I wish the circumstances were a little less...troublesome. Something along those lines, at least."
"It was nice of you to come anyway, Gerson. That's not something I entirely expected of you, but I'm glad that you did." Toriel remarked, her paws clasped while looking towards him.
"Wa ha ha! It's no ounce of trouble on my part, malady! This sack of bones I'd more than happy to lend his support!" Gerson cackled excitedly. "Besides, I've already promised FluffyBuns that I would make sure that y'all return safely, and that's what I'm gonna do. You're in good hands." He grinned as he takes hold of Toriel's paw and lightly kisses the top of it, making her giggle slightly.
"Seriously, I'm going on an expedition with Gerson the Hammer of Justice! I'm just absolutely pumped for this! Now I'm REALLY determined to make sure it's a success!" Undyne grinned, turning to Asriel with her fists clenched. "Asriel! We can't afford to embarrass ourselves in front of the legend! We gotta do our very best while in his presence! We'll show him our Determination! Our you with me?!"
"Yes Ma'am!" Asriel nodded energetically.
"Fuhuhu! Excellent!"
Gerson sighed slightly at the display, seeing the two of them nodding fiercely. "My goodness. Ever since the Prince's miraculous revival and beginning his training with Undyne, he's been much more energetic and carefree. Back then, he might have preferred to stay behind and leave things to others. He didn't really believe he could make much of a difference even if he tried, and simply wished things could stay nice and peaceful. Though I suppose he realized that it won't ever be that easy, not if he doesn't do anything. His birthday speech made that especially clear to us."
"Sitting behind isn't Azzy's style anymore. Now he's more willing to take action if he deems it necessary." Chara remarked quietly. "...To be honest, I think that speech back there might have motivated Alphys as well."
"Hm? You really think so, Chara-Dearie?" Muffet asked curiously.
"Thinking back to how she used to be, she was far too scared of failure to even risk moving in a way that would compromise her. At this time, it's clear she's still somewhat scared. But that's not going to stop her this time. She's going to help whether she's afraid or not. That's something Undyne has found herself rather excited about. Her passion is showing itself once more, for our friends' sake."
"I think I can see that..."
"Besides...I kind of owe him...in a way." Chara said under his breath, lowering his eyes as he gazed into the water at his reflection. There was once upon a timeline...
YOU AREN'T ABSOLUTELY EVIL. IF YOU WERE TRYING TO BE, THEN YOU MESSED UP. AND SO LATE INTO THE SHOW, TOO...
I hesitated once, which caused Frisk to hesitate...and he called me out on it. And he was right. Absolute evil doesn't redeem themselves...they CAN'T redeem themselves. I thought I was all bad...yet here I am. Mettaton was one of the key few before his redemption to see that Chara was nothing more than a child who had no idea why he was doing what he was doing anymore. Once his conscience began to return, he found himself losing the drive to win. He thought he was an absolute evil, but Mettaton was right after all; at least when it came to the long run and how things ultimately turned out. Absolute evil couldn't be redeemed because they don't seek it, and they also don't wish for anyone to try redeeming them. Absolute was absolute, and that wasn't him. Chara sighed as he closed his eyes. Turns out this was personal for him, too.
Alphys was looking over the deck, next to River Person who was mentally steering the magic ship. She could feel their concentration, yet they were also somewhat casual about it. She took her phone out of her pocket and went to a picture of herself, Undyne, Mettaton, Napstablook, and Shyren. All of them looked incredibly happy, aside from Undyne and Mettaton slightly disagreeing on who gets to cuddle Alphys more. Alphys knew that they had been gone for a very long time, but she never would have guessed that it would be for a reason like this. Something than none of them could have accurately anticipated. But that hardly matters to her right now. She knew what she needed to do, and she won't stop until she succeeds.
Mettaton...Napstablook...Shyren...we're coming!
(?)
There had been a number of things happening that this particular person wasn't happy with. Everything was fine up to this point. Everything was all fine and dandy, sunshine and rainbows all around...at least for this person it was. For mostly everyone else at this location, not so much. All in all, things were going fine.
...And now things were going not-so-fine.
It happened not too long ago. Monsters from the outside world came here for some sort of tour or something. The robot was incredibly obnoxious with all that boasting he did about how glamorous he was, with his friends just nodding along laughing. However, the moment that same robot saw what was going on in this land, he dropped his act and suddenly got very angry. His response was to tell his friends to flee while he went to town on his enemies...and he was VERY close to succeeding. Eventually, he was stopped, and was now in the custody of one of her subordinates.
Now this human was even more worried than before. If that had been a preemptive attack with a creation as powerful as that, who's to say there aren't more? That kind of technology was far ahead of even some of the best scientists who excel in that area. As such, there was a very desperate need to eliminate the creator before they did something else. Easy as hiring a mercenary to do the job. It should be over.
But she felt that it wasn't over. This feeling of foreboding wouldn't leave her chest no matter how hard she tried. She felt as though a storm was coming, and she was responsible for attracting it. At the same time, she wasn't too worried. After all, she's weathered out storms before. This won't be any different...right?
A flash of black flames appeared right in front of her, causing her to cry out with a yelp. As soon as the flames died out, a cat stood in it's place.
"Sup?~" Parvos grinned, flashing a peace sign towards her.
"P-Parvos...w-what the hell are you doing here...?" She gasped, trying to regain her breath and keep her head from spinning. She didn't know Parvos personally, but she did know who he was working with, and that he wouldn't come here to a place so insignificant to his interests unless he wanted something, or had something to say. She guessed on the latter, as he slowly rounded her and leaned against a wall.
"Say...remember that mercenary you sent after the creator of that robot who came here?" Parvos asked teasingly. She nodded slowly, which made him chuckle. "Welp, turns out he was close. Oh so very close! Annnnd he promptly got his ass kicked once she gained her bearings."
'What?!"
"Yep! She Awakened at a very accurate time! Oh man, he got destroyed! And it was pretty awesome, to be honest. I did contemplate killing her while she was unconscious..."
"Then why didn't you?!"
"Didn't feel like it." She stood there with her jaw dropped at his casual response. "Anyway, I just came here to tell ya that some members of the Dreemurr Faction are gonna be coming your way, and they're not pleased that you're holding their friends captive. Asriel Dreemurr is especially determined to participate."
"...Okay. Okay. That's useful information." She said rubbing a hand through her hair. "How bad is it?"
"Do ya want me to be gentle or blunt?" Parvos asked carefully. She nodded quietly at the latter option. Parvos smiled and clapped with a cheerful smile. "Here's my expert opinion: You're screwed!~"
"THAT BAD?!"
"Whoops, probably shouldn't say that so casually. It's true though, it's that bad." Parvos grinned. "This oughta be fun to watch, though. See if whoever they send is capable of taking what you can dish out towards them. Maybe it's time for the charade you've put over this archipelago to finally end when they arrive. Either that, or your three top 'pets' will be able to deal with them. And even then, I'm not sure that they'll appreciate being used as exterminators. But then again, with the magic that you have, they won't have a choice in the matter."
She breathed a bit uneasily before calming herself down, nodding quietly. "Yes...yes...that's right. WIth the magic that I have, I can keep them under my control. Rebellion is not an option for them. When the time comes, I'll have them deal with the intruders." She seemed confident in her words, but Parvos' amused and doubtful look was making her shiver. "W-Why don't you stay behind and help out? We could use the reinforcement. Especially since you somehow gained a human soul."
"Ah, so you were able to notice the change after all." He smiled, folding his arms. "Sorry, but this thing is NMP."
"...NMP?"
"NMP. As in 'Not My Problem'. You can succeed or fail in your endeavor. Either way, you've brought this upon yourself, you deal with it. I'm just here to give you a heads up." Parvos shrugged as he unfolded his arms and began leaving the room. "I bid you farewell. Success, Failure, either in between...whatever. For your sake, you'd best know what you're doing." Parvos chuckled as he pushed the doors open and left the room, where two different human guards were lying against the wall, dead and on black fire.
"You killed the guards guarding the door?! Then why did you bother teleporting into the room?!"
"I was going to knock. But then they tried to attack me. Self-Defense~" Parvos raised his paw in farewell as he closed his eyes. The woman sighed as she slumped in her chair and pinched her forehead. She was in deep trouble, and was fully aware of it. How she would deal with it, however, was entirely on her.
Further below the compound, someone was sitting with her legs crossed, and magic shackles around her neck, wrists, and ankles. Each were attached to the ground, specifically desgined to keep her from escaping without the leader's consent. Because if she was allowed to have more reach than she was permitted, then there were going to be many problems for those that go down to feed her. They don't trust her to get her own food, so they serve her from a distance, making sure she can't do anything to harm them.
One VERY unfortunate guard missed that memo, and was now struggling to breathe as her tail stretched out and began casually crushing his windpipe.
"...So that's how it is..." She smiled wickedly as a laugh escaped her. "Finally. Something that's worth my in interest. Things were getting rather dull around here with my judging twin brother and know-it-all cousin. These past few battles failed to satisfy me...I'm very close to flat-out destroying this entire archipelgo just to sate my boredom..." She looked up towards her captive with a tilted head. "Hm...what do you think? Do you think things will get interesting around here?"
"I-I don't really think the leader wi-"
*CRACK*
His lifeless body fell to the ground as the female huffed. "Tch, what do you know? You're dead." She said with a nonchalant wave of her paw. She then rested her chin in her paw as she allowed her silver eyes to pierce the darkness in front of her. She heard a word that really caught her interest. Dreemurr. Dreemurr. The name rolled off her forked tongue, almost as if she was savoring it. That name was VERY familiar. Yes. This time she will participate a battle truly worthy of her power. A fight that will really get her blood pumping. And all she had to do was wait a little longer for her chance. She just had to wait for her so-called 'Master' to come and free her from these chains, and she would beg her to stop the threat herself, despite that same person possibly being even MORE dangerous. Humans were jumpy like that. For now, she would wait. Especially since one specific name caught her interest. Asriel Dreemurr, huh...? She didn't know how she knew, but that name boasted power. And at that prospect, she felt her tongue slide across her lips as she salivates in anticipation.
Sounds...tasty!~
'eliteprobe' reads this story. He most likely knows who that is, and I hope that I've given her a good first impression outside his story. I've asked permission to use her, as well as two other important characters of his, that can fit into the grand scheme of things, and he agreed! Though I wonder what he'll think of some certain important details that distinguishes her from his story and my own...? Either way, she and the other two to come belong to him. I hereby give credit! Credit goes to him!
Alphys: By the sound of it, Asriel seems to be prey...
Me: Yeah, that doesn't sound very good.
Asriel: Wait, what?!
Alphys: Nothing! Ehehe...
Me: Anyway, prepare! Next chapter, the mission begins, The action comes back. And guess what? MORE WORLD-BUILDING!
That's right, time to travel outside Ebott for a bit! I told you guys that I was working on it, and I meant it. I probably won't be able to match up- with more skillful writers around here. But still, I hope it'll suffice, because I had quite a bit of practice.
See ya soon!~